Former Kiwi rugby league player Jarrod McCracken called in an underworld figure in a bid to recover a multi-million-dollar sum lent on the basis of a handshake, an Australian court has been told.

Mary MacKillop is set to become Australia's first saint after Pope Benedict XVI approved her second miracle.

Graham Lowe will undergo a double heart bypass next week but remains confident of taking on his role as new Manly Rugby League CEO before next season.

The V8 Supercars board will disallow regular drivers pairing up for next year's endurance events.

Tour of Sydney icon lifts the lid on its dramatic history.